SHEFALI CHATURVEDI
Ranchi, Sept, 29: The old Birsa Munda Central Jail of Ranchi will now be an attraction for tourists. A new museum is being built on the campus which will be completed very soon.
The 180-year-old jail where freedom fighter Birsa Munda was hanged is being converted into a museum, which will include sculptures of 14 state-wide freedom fighters, as well as infrastructure for light-and-sound and laser performances about Birsa Munda’s life. Officials are tight-lipped about the names of freedom fighters whose statues are being included.
A new look is being given to a local park as well. The museum, which will be housed in the old jail, will feature a 25-foot statue of the tribal figure, as well as 9-foot statues of other state freedom fighters.
The Rs 27-crore restoration and renovation work, funded by the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs, is being executed by State Urban Development Department through Jharkhand Urban Infrastructure Development Company (JUIDCO).
Director (Technical) of JUDICO, S. K Sahu said that the statue of Birsa Munda is being prepared by renowned sculptor Ram V Sutar. Private agencies are preparing the light-and-sound laser shows that would showcase Birsa Munda’s life.
The JUDICO officials said that the project would be a gift to the people of Jharkhand and hopefully would be completed by 5th of November. “We would like the inauguration to happen on Jharkhand statehood day. We are going ahead with our plans, earlier 11 statues were supposed to be built but now 3 more statues have been included. We will try to finish the work by 5th November,” said one of the officers.
Apart from Ranchi, museums are being built in other towns from scratch as well. Indian Trust for Rural Heritage and Development (ITRHD) has used materials like surkhi (pozzolan), lime, chua (a by-product of jaggery) and rotten wood-apple water to replicate the kind of construction done two centuries ago as far as possible to renovate the building.
